Suffolk police stepping up police patrols for New Year’s Eve

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone at a press conference before Hurricane Sandy in October.

There will be an increased in police presence on Suffolk County roads Monday night into Tuesday as officers will be out looking for intoxicated drivers on New Year’s Eve, said County Executive Steve Bellone.

Additional Suffolk County police patrol officers will be joined by members of the Selected Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team and Highway Patrol Bureau, Mr. Bellone said Friday.

New Year’s Day is the single most dangerous day of the year for the motorists, with an average of about 80 drunk-driving related deaths annually, a 178 percent increase above any other day of the year, according to a press release from Mr. Bellone’s office.

In addition from an increase in patrols within the Suffolk County Police District, which covers the five western Suffolk towns, members of District Attorney Thomas Spota’s East End DWI Task Force have also been busy as of late.